


Gunpowder

by narcissablaxk



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Anna and Hewlett are going to get married!, Especially ABe, F/M, Take him to satan for a corn chip plz, and no one is happy about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 15:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6811276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narcissablaxk/pseuds/narcissablaxk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edmund and Anna's announcement of their wedding does not go well. Anna has a little childish part of her that wants everyone to see that she plans to marry him. So she kisses him...in front of Abraham.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gunpowder

**Author's Note:**

> This was a requested one-shot, and the conversation at the beginning might be a little out of order, so forgive me if it is. I did it from memory. :)

Anna watched Abe from a distance, feeling that slight pang in her chest that she often reserved just for him. He was smiling down at his son, teaching him how to hammer in a nail, and Anna couldn’t help but wonder if that could have been her son, in another life, and her husband, in another universe. Would they be in this mess if he had chosen to marry her instead of Mary? Would they have even made it this long? 

She let him have this moment with his son, knowing she was about to ruin it. Despite the vitriol he had been spewing at her lately, she knew that Abe was, for better or worse, devoted to her and her safety. However, his devotion to her was the kind of devotion that was stagnant – she was a fluid person. She was always changing, shifting, and Abe couldn’t understand that. He still thought he needed to protect her, that she was lost without her husband. 

She wasn’t lost at all anymore; she might be wandering in the woods without a compass, but she wandered with purpose. And she didn’t need his protection anymore; she was the protector now. 

She stepped over the makeshift fence he had put up – Abe really wasn’t big on carpentry – and he was immediately alerted to her presence. He placed Thomas carefully on the ground and patted him on the head. 

He walked up to her like he was walking up to battle; seeing that look on his face, the one he reserved for his father, for Hewlett, made her soften her expression, if only to keep the conversation from souring instantly.

“You have news about Simcoe?” he said in way of greeting. Anna shook her head. 

“He set out this morning,” she reasoned. “We won’t hear anything for some time.” 

“Then what are you doing here?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

“I…” she hesitated, seeing the hardness in his eyes and faltering, “I just came here to tell you that Hewlett isn’t going to be a problem.” 

He immediately turned away from her. “No, no, we are not talking about this,” he protested. “Anna, you aren’t going to change my mind.” 

She almost laughed; the fact that he thought that she didn’t know that, after years of knowing him, was preposterous. “That’s not why I’m here.” 

“Okay?” he prompted. 

“We are…to be married,” she finally said in a rush. His face paled. “Me and Edmund. In England. We will go to New York and leave from there.” 

She could see the disbelief written all over his face. His eyes were looking everywhere but her, trying to understand what she was saying. She watched as his expression shifted from disbelief, to confusion, to anger, to…amusement. 

“Are you…serious?” he asked. “Anna, what about the Ring?” 

Of course the first thing he would ask about was the Ring. She shrugged. “Townsend sends you signals through the Gazette. You don’t need me anymore.” 

“And what about us?” he asked, his voice taking on that softness that she used to love. Now, it gave her voice a hard edge. 

“There is no us, Abe,” she snapped. “You made sure of that.” 

She remembered, as if it was playing before her eyes, his words when she asked him what their life would have been like if they had gotten married. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.” And yet, he thought he could claim her, in the dead of night, as his own. He thought he could utilize some power over her, long enough to have her seduce Hewlett to get him out of the way, and then expect her to fall willingly into his arms again. Never mind his child, standing a few feet away, and his wife, willingly enduring house arrest for his safety. 

Never mind anyone but himself. 

He could try to claim ownership over her body and her love, but she couldn’t share his name. She wasn’t good enough to share his name, just his bed.

He reached for her hands, and she allowed him momentary contact before she took them back. “Why are you doing this?” he asked, and she could see that he was desperate. But desperate for what, she couldn’t tell. She would hazard a guess that he didn’t know what he was desperate for either. “Are you doing this out of spite?” 

She screwed up her face in disbelief. “Spite?” she repeated. “You think I’d marry someone out of spite?” 

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” he asked, his voice going shrill for a moment. “Or…” 

She looked away; she gave herself away. 

“Or is it love?” he could barely stomach saying the word at all. He truly never even believed that she loved Selah – her affection for a British officer would be that much harder to stomach. When she didn’t respond, he stepped closer to her, trying to catch her eyes, eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. Tears that betrayed her true feelings. “You love him that much? Do leave your home, your husband behind?” 

She swallowed thickly, suppressing her tears and straightened up. Her home, the love she used to have in Setauket, was incredibly important to her. But Edmund, the man who showed her kindness when the rest of the town turned their eyes from her, the man who protected her when he could hardly protect himself, that man did not deserve to die in the name of a King who wouldn’t remember him. 

He didn’t deserve this. He showed her love, respect, kindness, and affection, all things she hadn’t been able to get from Abraham or Selah. And he had the nerve to do his job? That was what warranted his death sentence? She drew herself up with a heavy breath. 

“I love him…enough…to save his life,” she said finally. It was the truth. Did she love him with the passion and depth that he loved her? No; she wasn’t sure she was even capable of that amount of love. But she was willing to spend her life trying to reach it, even if she eventually decided that she didn’t love him. He deserved it. He deserved respect, love, and…honesty.

The word almost brought tears to her eyes. The letter she’d used to push their wedding was a farce, just like Edmund’s supposed understanding of her character. One day, she would tell him. She would tell him everything and he could hate her if he wanted. 

Today was not that day. 

“Anna –”

But she was already walking away, leaving him behind with his protestations to build his new house, probably so he could burn it all down again. 

***

After the pure disaster that was dinner, Anna caught Edmund’s hand as he walked by her chair. “Take me to town?” she asked. She had to almost physically swallow the rage that was stirring inside her. To watch Edmund defend her so thoroughly, his anger almost as palpable as when he was pointing a gun at Abe, and have Richard and Mary treat him so horribly, only made her feel more and more defensive. 

She felt guilty. This was what he would receive, from all sides, when he decided to announce their wedding. Richard wasn’t the only one who thought those things about her, but he was at least close enough to Edmund to keep quiet about it until now. Others in the town wouldn’t be so respectful. 

He hesitated, glancing around at the house. She understood his reticence. He was supposed to be keeping Mary in the house, and leaving would give her an opportunity to run. Speaking of Mary, Anna could see her standing at Richard’s shoulder, trying to calm him. They were sitting in the study, Richard no doubt trying to find a way to ruin the rest of Anna’s life. 

“I…I don’t know if we should –” he began, but Anna released his hand and stood, letting her hand rest over his heart. It was so reminiscent of the night before, the night of their first kiss, that she could see he was struck silent.

“Please?” she asked, her voice so quiet he had to get closer to her to hear. Their foreheads were almost touching, their hands clasped together, like they often were now. Both of them seemed to sense something was trying to tear them apart. He glanced up at her, and she quickly pressed her lips to his, releasing his hands so he could reach up trace his fingers over her cheek. 

She pulled away when she heard the awkward cough. Edmund quickly put some distance between the two of them, his hand falling to hers again. Mary was patting Richard on the back, her face bright red. Anna felt some sort of sick satisfaction. Let Richard be uncomfortable; let Mary be embarrassed. They had earned it. 

Anna kissed Edmund’s cheek once, just because she could, and smiled when the coughs in the other room increased. Edmund’s own eyes on her own betrayed his amusement, his knowledge of her intentions. He squeezed her hands and shook his head, a smile playing around the corner of his mouth. 

He offered her his arm and she took it, allowing Edmund to lead her to the front door. Whispers between Mary and Richard erupted as soon as they were out of sight, and Anna and Edmund exchanged one long look before he opened the door and offered the opening to her. 

But when Anna started to walk toward town, Edmund called her back. She returned to his side, quizzical.

“I thought we’d go inform Abraham that Simcoe left this morning,” he said, offering her his arm again. Anna stared at his arm before taking it. Did she want him to know that she had already been to see Abe? She hadn’t told him she was going; the knowledge, and their conversation, might make him suspicious. 

“Don’t be nervous,” he said reassuringly, his free hand coming to rest on hers. “I’m sure that Abraham will be pleased to hear the news.” 

Her lips quirked at the double meaning; truly Abraham hadn’t been that pleased, and he had been even less pleased to hear about Anna’s news. But darkness was falling, and hopefully he’d had enough time to cool off. 

If not, she wasn’t sure how she was going to keep him from doing or saying something stupid. 

He was inside the little makeshift cabin now; she could see the fire flickering through the window. She hoped, if only for a moment, that he wouldn’t be there, then quickly stomped on her cowardly thought. Who cared if he was there? If he thought he was entitled to her, let him see differently. 

He had no problem being married to Mary while he supposedly loved her, so she would have no problem leaving it behind for Edmund. 

Edmund knocked gently on the door, and Anna heard the telltale sound of a gun. “It’s just us, Abe,” Anna called out, leaving out who her companion was. 

He opened the door a crack, and forced himself through it. “What are you doing here?” he asked, directing the question more at Anna than Edmund. 

“I thought you’d like to know that Simcoe left this morning,” Edmund said sharply, directing Abe’s attention back to him. “Even now, your rebels might be firing on him.” 

“Great,” he said flatly, his eyes falling to Edmund’s hand on Anna’s. “You two just taking a romantic stroll and decided to come by and tell me?” 

Edmund opened his mouth to respond, but Anna cut him off. “We’re just celebrating,” she said significantly, turning her smug smile to Edmund, who gave her the same giddy one he’d been sporting all day. “Should we tell him the news?” she asked. 

Edmund looked, for the first time, a little uneasy. He knew her history with Abe; he must know that the news wouldn’t go over well with him. That bad news might make him behave rashly. Abraham was staring at Anna, his eyes boring into the side of her face. He wanted to know why she was doing this, why she was digging the knife deeper, only to twist it. 

But that was all he had been doing to her since he got into the damned Ring. Mary, Thomas, and then Edmund. Every time she thought she found a way to be happy without risking her life, he tried to get rid of it. He deserves it, she thought cruelly. 

“News?” Abraham asked. 

“Anna, we probably –”

“Edmund and I are to be married!” she exclaimed, letting the words bring the genuine smile back to her face. Abraham was staring at her, his eyes lost. She figured she must look quite the sight; happy and exuberant between two men who were trying to out-posture each other. 

“Yes, as soon as possible,” Edmund added, turning his face to Anna’s. 

“You know she’s still married, right?” Abraham said bluntly, knocking the smile off of Edmund’s face. “I guess you really don’t like to follow the rules do you?” 

“Same could be said for you,” Edmund snapped, and Anna tightened her hold on his hand. 

“You sure you want to marry her?” Abraham asked, and a chill fell over the porch. Anna’s hand clenched even tighter around Edmund’s, and he gave her a soft look that only hurt her heart more. “You hardly know her.” 

“I know enough,” Edmund answered coldly. “And I love her. I daresay her acceptance and our love is enough to create a marriage.” 

Abraham’s laugh was strikingly similar to his father’s. Anna could see the recognition on Edmund’s face when he did it. She glared at Abe. He was doing what she should have expected but did not prepare for – he tried to convince Anna not to marry Edmund, so now he was going to do the same thing to him. 

“I’m surprised her previous adultery didn’t scare you off, considering how you love honesty,” Abe said snidely, turning away from them momentarily. 

“It didn’t scare you off,” Edmund shrugged, his voice almost deadly calm. “Besides, the adultery you speak of so easily came about because she was abandoned by her husband. I don’t plan to abandon her.” 

Abe laughed again, shaking his head. “It came about because she loves me. Always has.” 

Anna tensed, thinking Edmund was about to start yelling again, like he had at Whitehall. His hands were shaking with rage – she pulled her hand free of his arm and kissed his knuckled absently, trying to calm him. Abraham’s eyes jerked to hers, his jaw clenching visibly. Edmund sighed deeply, exhaling most of his rage out. 

“Yes, I don’t doubt that she loves you,” he said finally. “But, as I guess, this could have been solved if you had just married her in the first place. As it is, I don’t plan to make your mistake and let her go.” 

Abraham froze; Anna turned to Edmund, surprise written all over her face. Edmund turned to her. “My dear, we should go. I don’t want you getting too cold,” he directed his attention back to Abraham. “We’ll inform you of any updates when we get them.” 

“Anna,” Abraham called as the couple reached the bottom step of the porch. “You won’t marry him,” he said with confidence. 

Instead of answering, Anna yanked on Edmund’s arm, putting their chests flush against each other. He gave her the same smug smile he had given her when they both heard Richard’s coughing, and she knew that he wouldn’t hold this act of revenge, of childish spite against her. 

He was the one that pulled her in this time, his hand resting almost too low on her hip to be proper. She smiled against his lips, letting her hand around his arm tighten when he deepened it. For a few moments, she lost herself in it, remembering how long it had been since she had been kissed like a wife. Their own bumbling attempts at a kiss the night before had been awkward, soft, chaste. This was not. 

When he finally pulled away, Anna had forgotten that she was kissing him to make a point. She gave Abe one final look before taking Edmund’s arm and letting him lead her away. She didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything left to say. 

“Gunpowder,” Edmund said quietly to her, lowering his head so they were almost touching. “That’s what you’re full of.” 

She smiled at the notion. Maybe she was.


End file.
